A Texas mother has been charged in connection with the deaths of her two young children, who were found locked in a hot car last month. Cynthia Marie Randolph, 24, initially claimed the children had entered the vehicle on their own, but later admitted to closing the door as a punishment.
The incident occurred on 26 May at the family home near Lake Weatherford, Texas. Police say temperatures outside reached 96F (35.5C). Randolph told investigators that her two-year-old daughter Juliet refused to leave the car around 12:15, so she shut the door to teach her a 'lesson', believing the children could get out when ready.
After closing the door, Randolph went inside the house, smoked marijuana, and fell asleep for two to three hours. She allegedly broke a car window to make the deaths appear accidental. Juliet and her 16-month-old brother Cavanaugh were pronounced dead at approximately 16:30 that day.
Randolph now faces two felony charges of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury. The Parker County Sheriff's Office stated that throughout multiple interviews, she created several variations of events leading to the children's deaths.
